Present Tense (Out of the Fire #3) - Candace Blevins Page 0,79

kinds of shifters — which meant it was possible she was ready, she just hadn’t had fed from one yet.

But feeding from them wasn’t the only way to figure it out. The effects from a sexual exchange of energy might show it as well.

Did Etta think her animal might be the mongoose? Could that be why Eunice knew when she was awake? When she was strong or weak?

James walked in the door, and all thoughts fled her mind. At six foot ten inches tall, he was exactly a foot taller than Eunice, and he probably weighed two hundred more pounds.

And yet, she wasn’t certain who would win if the two of them fought. She was absolutely certain she never wanted to find out.

She moved to back up, and Eunice let go of her. James stepped to them and cradled her cheek in the palm of his huge hand.

“Sometimes, sex between us is gentle. It’s about the connection — something I’ve only experienced with one other, before you. Sometimes, it’s about me giving you what you need, and sometimes it’s about you taking what I need to give you.”

She nodded. All of that was true, and she valued her time with him, no matter which kind of day it was.

“Tonight, you’ll take what I give you.”

He paused a few seconds. “I need to hear it from you, little one. Look at me and say it. If you don’t mean it, I’ll know.”

More than anything, she wanted to be what he needed. Wanted to be a vessel for his pleasure. She met his gaze a few seconds, to be certain she meant every ounce of what she said. “Tonight, I’ll take what you give me.”

Collosa looked up, met Eunice’s gaze. The two of them were nearly always on the same wavelength, whether they were sharing a woman or interrogating a prisoner. Sometimes, Eunice preferred good cop while Collosa was the scary bad cop. Other times, Collosa was the good cop while Eunice made the detainee shit his pants just from slow, deep threats of what they could do if information didn’t come spilling out.

It was the same when they shared a woman — good cop, bad cop, and it was fun to switch back and forth until she didn’t know if she was coming or going, but she knew better than to do anything without their fucking permission.

“Strip,” Collosa told her. “Go to your knees and kiss his boots. I’m gonna take a quick shower.”

She turned back to Eunice, who stood with his arms crossed, waiting for her to decide what to do.

But there wasn’t a decision. She’d put herself at the mercy of these men. She’d agreed to be submissive to them — not only because it was apparently important a baby vamp have keepers, but because she never wanted to be the person in control during sex. She’d been put with vampire men who weren’t as strong as her in the past two years, and she’d hated it. Abhorred the fact her ability to decide to be submissive was taken from her.

She wanted to submit, but she wanted to choose who she submitted to.

Kelsey wasn’t likely to have the opportunity to choose for another hundred years, at least. These men had been foisted on her, but she didn’t mind. If she’d been given the choice, she’d have picked them, once she got to know them.

So without hesitating, she pulled her tank top off, then the exercise bra, unfastened her jeans, and pushed them down along with her underwear. It killed her not to stop and fold them neatly, but she tossed them all onto the sofa, stepped to Eunice, dropped to her knees, leaned forward, and put her lips to one of his boots, just below the laces.

The boots were black leather and looked like some kind of military footwear. A hint of her lipstick stayed behind when she rose back to her knees, and she focused on it, rather than lifting her gaze to Eunice’s face. He hadn’t told her his rules, so she’d remain in place until given orders.

“Did you pay attention to the slave’s rules, when she was here?”

“I tried not to, Sir.”

“Why?”

“She was stupid. Silly. Also, her heart wasn’t in it. She annoyed me. I’d been given orders to not see her, and it wasn’t hard to follow them.”

“Why are you looking at my boots?”

“It feels right. I’m following James’ order and showing you respect. He didn’t tell me what to do after I kissed your